Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has announced that a new dragon will enter the Den for Season 16 of the reality show Dragons Den.

Executive chairman and founder of Kingsdale Advisors and founder and chairman of BlackNorth Initiative, Jamaican-born Wes Hall, brings a diverse range of expertise to the Den. Recently named to Maclean’s The Power List ranking of the 50 most powerful people in Canada, Hall is an innovator and entrepreneur who is revered as one of Canada’s pre-eminent power brokers.

Hall strives to be a positive influence for emerging entrepreneurs. As a child in rural Jamaica, he was raised by his grandmother; he moved to Canada at 16, and set himself on track to become one of the most influential business people in Canada. As the executive chairman and founder of Kingsdale Advisors, he has delivered an unparalleled track record of success leading some of the highest profile deals and activist campaigns in North America. Most recently, Hall made headlines when he founded BlackNorth Initiative, which he believes can end anti-black systemic racism by using a “business-first mindset” to create more opportunities for blacks and all of those in the black, indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) community across Canada.

“I’m excited to join Dragons’ Den and sit alongside some of our country’s biggest and brightest business minds,” said Hall. “As a lifelong entrepreneur, I know first-hand how much drive and dedication it takes to build a business, especially as a black person in Canada. I look forward to sharing my challenges and my experiences to help guide other black, indigenous and people of colour entrepreneurs on a path of success. Not only do I plan to make some incredible deals, I plan to help level the playing field for BIPOC entrepreneurs.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Wes as a Dragon investor this season,” said Jennifer Dettman, executive director, Unscripted Content, CBC. “Wes brings fresh perspective to the Den as well as an unwavering commitment to create more opportunities for emerging and BIPOC entrepreneurs, which is sure to lead to some innovative deals in the Den this season.”

Hall joins Arlene Dickinson, Michele Romanow, Manjit Minhas and Vincenzo Guzzo, as beloved longtime Dragon Jim Treliving and virtual game changer Lane Merrifield depart the Den.

Hall’s track record extends beyond the corporate boardroom as well. As an entrepreneur, Hall is the owner of QM Environmental, a leading national environmental and industrial services provider with over 450 employees; he owns Titan Supply, a top manufacturer and distributor of rigging and wear products, serving industries in the oil and gas, construction and transportation sectors; and Harbor Club hotel, one of St Lucia’s premier resorts. He’s also a proud investor and supporter of many burgeoning small businesses.

Additionally, Hall is an instructor at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, where he teaches black entrepreneurship and leadership in Canada, a first-of-its-kind course in North America that provides students with a deep understanding of the systemic racism faced by black entrepreneurs, the cultural impacts and how to navigate the system.

Known for his generosity, Hall leverages his business success to benefit others with a number of impactful charitable initiatives and serves as a board member with the SickKids Foundation, Pathways to Education, Toronto International Film Festival, and most recently, The Black Academy. He is the founder and chairman of The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism committed to the removal of anti-black systemic barriers negatively affecting the lives of black Canadians.